First Look – Tommy Armour 845 Black Driver

Today we’ve got your first look at the upcoming Tommy Armour 845 Black driver.

When Golf Digest publishes its 2016 Hot List, it’s a safe bet the new Black won’t crack super-five-star-Callaway-Ft.Knox-Gold-Medal status (although we’re told it has been submitted). Regardless, we think the upcoming Tommy Armour release is noteworthy for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, Tommy Armour (which , as you may recall, is now the house brand for Sports Authority) says the Black performs, and backs that claim up with data from Golf Labs (more on that below).

Secondly, the everyday price of the driver will be $149, and will likely be offered as low as $99 during Black Friday and Father’s Day sales events.

That’s right, a $149, designed in the USA by actual golf industry R&D veterans, driver.

According to the Tommy Armour team, the new Black offers several improvements over the original TA845.

Cup Face Technology – There’s absolutely nothing new about Cup Face Technology (Callaway is using it in everything), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits. By leveraging  a cup face design, companies, including Tommy Armour, are able to moves critical welds farther from the face. This reduces the hardening effect that results from the welding process, which in-turn helps increase the sweet area of the face.

More Efficient Head Shape – The new design produces a slightly elongated head with a low/back CG and a bit of extra weight in the heel. The overall result is higher MOI with a draw bias.

Improved Stock Shaft Offering – This time around, Tommy Armour is going with a sub-60 gram, low torque shaft from Grafalloy that should provide a more stable profile than the previous stock offering.

Performance?

As for performance, we can’t personally attest to anything, but it’s worth noting that Sports Authority commissioned a test at Golf Labs, where the 845 Black was hit side by side against the old TA845 as well as several competitors, including other Big Box custom products.

It’s important to note that these results are based on robot testing, and 95 MPH, and only includes center strikes. We can’t be certain of how the 845 Black will perform in the hands of actual golfers, especially when they start missing the sweet spot.

That said, we’re talking about a driver that will be available for $350 to $400 less than flagship offerings from Callaway and TaylorMade, and $200 less than most anyone else’s entry level offering.

The Sales Challenge

Apart from the limited availability, the bigger challenge for Tommy Armour will be competing in today’s discount driven reality. With some of the best drivers of this season, including our Most Wanted Winning Cobra FLY-Z, now available for just a few dollars more, and previous offerings like TaylorMade’s SLDR still available new for less, even at $99, the new Tommy Armour 845 Black may prove a tough sell.

Still…$99. Those alone makes it worth a look should you find yourself in the golf department at Sports Authority.